SHILLONG, Nov 27: The three-day Shillong Literary Festival at Wards Lake in Shillong was filled with fun, excitement, talk shows, interactions with renowned authors and, of course, selfies.
The litfest, part of the Cherry Blossom Festival, started on November 25 and drew to a close on Saturday.
The festival witnessed the participation of renowned authors and poets from across the country like Amitav Ghosh, Namita Gokhale, Devdutt Pattanaik and Shillong’s very own Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih and Macdeline Tham.
While most interactions and talks with prominent personalities were held in the physical space, others were conducted virtually.
“Yes, the habit of reading has gone down amongst the young people. You have to give the child a book and I believe they will enjoy reading. With teens, we put so much pressure on reading — for them, to read is only to memorise and sit for exams. There have to be some other ways for them to realise that no, books are not just that — books can be friends too,” said author and screenwriter, Paulami Duttagupta.
The last day witnessed the participation of Naseeruddin Shah, who spoke about his journey as an actor primarily in the Hindi film industry.
Unlike the first two days, children were allowed to enter the venue on the last day, much to their delight. Deprived of festivals and gatherings in the last two years, children were seen running around, enjoying the variety of shows and food stalls put on display.
“It was wonderful. I was so excited when I saw that they had arranged a place for reading. Yes, many kids don’t like reading nowadays, but thanks to my parents, I still like reading as it shapes my imagination and enhances creativity,” said a Class VI student of Loreto Convent School, Shillong.
Wards Lake became a perfect place for selfie lovers as many were seen with their selfie sticks, posing for a picture or two.
The venue sported many stalls offering food and creative arts.
However, the scene outside the venue was not as exciting as one would expect. Long queues became the talk of the town — not just outside Wards Lake but at Polo as well. But who do we blame?
